Messi suffers a bruise

BARCELONA, Dec 6, 2012, Reuters:

Barcelona's Lionel Messi has a bruised left knee and is a doubt for the leaders' next match in La Liga this weekend, the club said on Wednesday ending fears that the player had suffered a more serious injury.

“Tests carried out tonight (Wednesday night) have confirmed that the player has a bruising of the bone on the outside of the left knee,” Barca said in a statement. “The rate of his recovery will determine whether he will be available for the next game, on Sunday against Real Betis.”

The World Player of the Year was carried off on a stretcher near the end of their Champions League match against Benfica.

The Argentine collapsed to the ground clutching his knee after colliding with Benfica goalkeeper Artur and looked to be in severe discomfort as he was taken from the pitch.The initial diagnosis was that he had suffered only bruising.

Messi remains one goal short of Gerd Mueller's record of 85 goals in a calendar year set in 1972.

The last time Messi suffered an injury was in September 2010 at Atletico Madrid when a hefty challenge left him with ankle damage that ruled him out of two games, the club said.